Ray absorber and deflector for automobile headlights



May 27, 1930. c. E. GRAVES 1,750,055

RAY ABSORBER AND DEFLECTOR FDR AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHTS Filed March 26, 1929 Patented May 27, 1930 GEORGE E. GRAVES, OF OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA RAY ABSORBER AND DEFLEC'IOR FOR AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHTS Application filed March 26, 1929. Serial N0. 349,991.

The essential objection to the use of the present head lights for automobiles is the upward projection of the rays therefrom which glare into the eyes of each driver as they come from opposite directions, and beginning at about 100 feet from each other, causing glare-blindness.

It is therefore an object of the invention to prevent the projection of these rays tangen- 1o tially outwardly and upwardly which causes the glare blindness.

It is also an object to provide, in the means for doing this, not only a simple structure, but one that may be adjustable to fit any size lamp shell, and at the same time use the adjustment means to raise and lower the ray deflectors to re-adjust and re-cast the ray deflection.

It is also an object to provide either a ray deflector, ray subduer or modifier, or ray cutout, making them adjustably mounted.

Referring to the drawings, accompanying and forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a front view of a lamp shell,

' with the invention applied;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the shell, with the deflector set therein, and shown in side elevation;

Figure 3, is a top plan view of a portion of the structure, showing the ray cut-out, and

I Figure 4 is a similar view showing a translucent window for use as a ray modifier or subduer.

In these several views, similar characters of reference will indicate similar parts.

The lamp shell may be indicated by 5, and is provided with the usual light bulb 6, proceeding from the usual socket 7.

Two upright sleeves 8 and 9 respectively, are secured to a cross bar 10, in any suitable manner, and the outer free ends thereof are designed to lay in the groove 11 of the lamp shell.

Inserted for telescopic movement in the sleeves 8 and 9 are retainers or clips 12 and 13, preferably formed of spring wire, and

the bight of each of these retainers 12 and 13, impinges the wall of the groove 11 in the lampshell 5. Because of the construction of these retainers 12 and 13, having their inserted ends tapering or converging toward each other, in the diverging sleeves 8 and 9, the tendency in the hights is an outward pressure against the wall of the groove 11 and thus hold the structure rigid and in place. This can be seen more clearly at Figure 1.

Suitably secured to the lowermost portion of the sleeves 8 and 9 are wings 1 1 and 15, which are designed to so intercept the laterally deflected and laterally projected rays from the reflector in the shell, that Will cause them to be entirely diverted so that the drivers will not be bothered with them a long distance away, and before the upper rays before mentioned come with their blinding results. In other words, as the opposing cars approach each other, each driver catches certain laterally projected rays from the ordinary lamps and especially the farther out along the outer side of the drive the cars may be,and these rays tantalize and confuse even before the upward projected rays get in their work, and these wings 1 1 and 15, divert these lateral rays. 7

Extending rearwardly of the bar 10 and 7 into the lamp shell 5, may either be the ray eliminator 16 of Figure 3, or that one of Figure 4:, which is provided with a suitable ray subduing window 17. In the former instance, the member 16 is a solid piece, and s0 divert certain rays from the lamp before they can get to that part of the reflector which would transmit them out and up along the road to do their glare-blinding work, and in the instance, with the window used, which may be of translucent nature, the upward rays may be suiiiciently softened to kill the glare, and yet at the same time give an additional amount of light for road projection.

Below this ray deflector 16' is a lamp glare deflector 18 the purpose of which is to let the rays project along the road bed or surface and shield the light from the eyes of the drivers as the car heaves up and down along the road. 95

By reason of the introduction of the legs of the retainers 12 and 13 into the sleeves 8 and 9, the device can not only be fitted properly to any sized shell, but, as can be seen, for instance by Figure 1 the deflectors for the rays 10" can be adjusted up and down by the same structure, and thus provide for a multiplicity of ray projection modifications which is an advantage.

As was pointed out in the beginning, it is the rays from the lamp 6 striking approximately in the zone indicated by the curved line within the arrows (see Figure 2) that are projected sufliciently upward from the lamp to that zone and outward therefrom that causes the disastrous dazzling glare that goes into the eyes of the driver, as soon as the cars come, say within 100 feet of each other. The deflector of Figure 3 kills these rays, while the windowed deflector of Figure 4, only modifies them to a subdued condition, still giving the light but not the glare.

It is not to be forgotten that the windowed deflector of Figure 4 forms an important part of the invention because the modified rays have an important place in the art, because they still give the road projection illumination, without the glare.

Having thus set forth the invention, I claim:

1. In an automobile head lamp, a cross bar retainer, upright sleeves secured thereto, resilient clips inserted into the sleeves, and impinging the lamp shell to hold the device in place, a ray absorber carried by the cross bar, a ray deflector carried between the sleeves and below the first named ray absorber, and rearwardly extending ray deflecting wings carried by the sleeves and beneath the first named ray absorber, and on each side of the second ray deflector.

2. In an automobile head lamp, an adjustably mounted cross bar retainer, upright sleeves secured thereto, resilient clips inserted into the sleeves, and impinging the lamp shell to hold the device in place, an adjustably mounted ray absorber carried by the cross bar, an adjustably mounted. ray deflector carried between the sleeves and below the first named adjustably mounted ray absorber, and adj ustably mounted rearwardly extending ray deflecting wings carried by the sleeves, and beneath the first named ray absorber, and to each side of the second adj ustably mounted ray deflector.

3. In an automobile head lamp, the combination with a shell, of a reflector therein, and a lamp bulb and socket, of an adjustably mounted ray modifier consisting of means for softening the rays of light from the lamp before reaching the reflector to emit subdued projection from the reflector, a ray deflector adjustably mounted below the ray modifier, and adjustably mounted ray deflectors rearwardly extending into the lamp shell below the ray modifier, and on either side of the ray deflector.

4. In an automobile head lamp, the combination with a lamp shell, a reflector therein, anda lamp-bulb, of a forwardly posi- 

